In 1973, Springsteen released his first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, neither of which earned him a large audience. He changed his style and reached worldwide popularity with Born to Run in 1975. It was followed by Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) and The River (1980), which topped the US Billboard 200 chart. After the solo recording, Nebraska (1982), he reunited with the E Street Band for Born in the U.S.A. (1984), his most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums of all time. Seven of its singles reached the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100, including the title track. Springsteen recorded his next three albums, Tunnel of Love (1987), Human Touch (1992), and Lucky Town (1992) using mostly session musicians. He reassembled the E Street Band for 1995's Greatest Hits, then recorded the sparse acoustic The Ghost of Tom Joad, followed by the EP Blood Brothers (1996), his last release of the decade.
Springsteen dedicated his 2002 album The Rising to the victims of the September 11 attacks. He released two more folk albums, Devils & Dust (2005) and We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006), followed by two more albums with the E Street Band: Magic (2007) and Working on a Dream (2009). The next two, Wrecking Ball (2012) and High Hopes (2014), topped album charts worldwide. His latest releases include the solo Western Stars (2019), the E Street Band-featuring Letter to You (2020) and a solo cover album Only the Strong Survive (2022). When Letter to You went to No.2 in the US, Springsteen became the first artist to score a Top Five hit across six consecutive decades.
Among the album era's prominent acts, Springsteen has sold more than 140 million records worldwide and more than 71 million in the United States, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. He has earned numerous awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Special Tony Award (for Springsteen on Broadway). Springsteen was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, named MusiCares person of the year in 2013, and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2016. He ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone's list of the Greatest Artists of All Time, which described him as being "the embodiment of rock & roll".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Springsteen
Studio albums
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)
Born to Run (1975)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
The River (1980)
Nebraska (1982)
Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Tunnel of Love (1987)
Human Touch (1992)
Lucky Town (1992)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
The Rising (2002)
Devils & Dust (2005)
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
Magic (2007)
Working on a Dream (2009)
Wrecking Ball (2012)
High Hopes (2014)
Western Stars (2019)
Letter to You (2020)
Only the Strong Survive (2022)
car car
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My ma's in the back seat sitting all alone
As my pa steers her slow out of the lot
For a test drive down Michigan Avenue
Now my ma, she fingers her wedding band
And watches the salesman stare at my old man's hands
He's telling us all about the break he'd give us if he could but he just can't
Now mister the day the lottery I win
I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again
Now the neighbors come from near and far
As we pull up in our brand new used car
I wish he'd just hit the gas and let out a cry
And tell them all they can kiss our asses goodbye
My dad, he sweats the same job from morning to morn
Me, I walk home on the same dirty streets where I was born
Up the block, I can hear my little sister in the front seat blowing that horn
The sounds echoing all down Michigan Avenue
Now mister the day my number comes in
I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again
In Bruce Springsteen's song "Used Cars #2," he narrates a story of a family's day out test driving a used car. The family consists of the father, mother, the singer, and his or her little sister. The little sister enjoys her ice cream cone while riding in the front seat with the mother in the back seat all alone. The singer's father drives the car as they go for a test drive down Michigan Avenue. The mother fingers her wedding band while watching the salesman stare at her old man's hands. This act implies that she may be concerned about the father's aging hands and what they mean for their financial security.
The salesman offers them a "break," but he says "he just can't." The singer acknowledges this, saying "Well if I could, I swear I know just what I'd do." The singer dreams of winning the lottery and never riding in a used car again. The family then pulls up in their new used car, attracting attention from neighbors near and far. The singer wishes the father would tell them to kiss their asses goodbye, implying that they look down on the family. The song ends with the singer's little sister blowing the horn, echoing down Michigan Avenue, and the singer reiterating their dream of never riding in a used car again.
Line by Line Meaning
My little sister's in the front seat with an ice cream cone
My younger sister is enjoying her ride in the passenger seat while enjoying her ice cream cone.
My ma's in the back seat sitting all alone
My mother is sitting alone in the back seat, reflecting on her life and what led her to this moment.
As my pa steers her slow out of the lot
My father carefully pulls the car out of the dealership, eager to test drive it and see if it's the right fit for our family.
For a test drive down Michigan Avenue
We take the car for a spin down Michigan Avenue to test its performance and see how it handles on the road.
Now my ma she fingers her wedding band
My mother absentmindedly touches her wedding band, perhaps thinking of her marriage and the struggles that have brought us to this moment.
And watches the salesman stare at my old man's hands
My mother observes the salesman looking carefully at my father's hands, assessing their strength and ability to handle the car.
He's telling us all about the break he'd give us, if he could but he just can't
The salesman tries to offer us a deal, but ultimately he can't give us the price we want on the car.
Well if I could I swear I know just what I'd do
I feel frustrated and powerless in this situation, but I know exactly what I would do if I had the means to change it.
Now mister the day the lottery I win
If I ever win the lottery, I promise myself I'll never have to settle for a used car again.
I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again
I refuse to ride in a used car ever again, and I vow to work hard so that I can afford a new one.
Now the neighbors come from near and far
As we pull up in our new used car, neighbors gather to see our new car and perhaps even share in its excitement.
As we pull up in our brand new used car
Although it's used, this car represents a new beginning for our family - a step up from our old, unreliable car.
I wish he'd just hit the gas and let out a cry
As we drive away, I feel a sense of excitement and freedom - I wish my father would just floor it and let everyone know how powerful this new car feels.
And tell them all they can kiss our asses goodbye
I want to leave our old life behind and start fresh with this new car - I want to show off and tell everyone we're moving on up.
My dad he sweats the same job from morning to morn
My father works tirelessly at the same job each day, reflecting on how little progress we've made as a family despite his efforts.
Me I walk home on the same dirty streets where I was born
I am reminded of my humble beginnings as I walk home, noticing the same dirty streets I grew up on.
Up the block I can hear my little sister in the front seat blowing that horn
My sister continues to enjoy her ride in the new used car, honking the horn in excitement and signaling a new beginning for our family.
The sounds echoing all down Michigan Avenue
The sound of the horn echoes down Michigan Avenue, symbolizing our new car and our determination to leave the past behind.
Now mister the day my number comes in
I hold out hope that someday, my luck will change and I'll be able to afford a brand new car.
I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again
I refuse to settle for anything less than a brand new car, and I will work hard to make my dreams a reality.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind